Smoke cleansing apparatus



June 30, 1964 O. J. BOUDREAU SMOKE CLEANSING APPARATUS Filed April 25. 1961 Pressure Lima 5/eam Line Hpssure L me Ovi/a Joseph Boudreau INVENTOR.

Anon

3,139,331 it GEE CLEANSING APPARATUS @vila Joseph Boudreau, Epring Valley, Calif. (1525 Laguna St., Apt. 1, Santa Barbara, Calif.) Filed Apr. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 185,385 3 Claims. (Cl. 55-237) This invention relates to a smoke cleansing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus specifically adapted to be removably secured to the outlet end of a smoke pipe and utilized for cleansing the smoke and exhaust gases being discharged by the smoke pipe. The smoke eleansing apparatus of the instant invention is provided with means for wetting solid particles being discharged by the smoke fiow from a smoke pipe and means for spinning the 'wetted solid particles out of the flow of smoke through the apparatus by means of centrifugal force. In addition, the apparatus is provided with means for directing a plurality of streams of water and/or steam trans versely of the path of movement of the smoke through the apparatus whereby substantially all solid particles rendering offensive color and odors to the smoke being v discharged will be wetted and thus increased in weight whereby they may more efiectively be removed from the fiow of smoke by means of centrifugal force.

Although water may also be used as the wetting agent, the apparatus of the instant invention is specifically adapted to be utilized in connection with steam being used as the wetting agent. Inasmuch as the stealnis introduced into the attachment under pressure and the attachment necessarily includes an inlet and an outlet for the smoke passing therethrough, air intake means for receiving air under pressure are provided and each of the air intake means is provided with an outlet opening in the irection of the outlet end of the attachment whereby the pressurized. air will ensure that the presence of steam under pressure will not restrict the fiow of smoke through the cleansing attachment and therefore through the smoke pipe to which the cleansing attachment is secured.

The smoke cleansing apparatus includes an elongated tubular intake pipe having means on one end adapted for securement to the discharge end of a smoke pipe for forming an extension of the latter, Compressed air inlet. means is provided in the end portion of the intake pipe adapted to be secured to the smoke pipe and an inner water and/or steam pipe is disposed within the other end portion of the intake pipe and is provided with laterally opening outlets whereby steam and/or water introduced into the Water and steam pipe will be discharged laterally of the path of movement of the smoke through the attachment. In addition, the end portion of the attachment remote from the intake pipe is coiled as is the water and/ or steam pipe disposed therein. In this manner, the smoke passing through the attachment is subjected to centrifugal force and the solid particles within the smoke passing through the attachment are wetted by means of the Water and/or steam being discharged through the laterally directed outlets formed in the water and steam pipe and are thus increased in weight. The centrifugal force of the wetted solid particles causes them to be impinged upon the inner surfaces of the outer walls of the coiled portion of the smoke cleansing attachment whereby they will be carried to an appropriate discharge point by means of the water and/ or condensed steam which has also been forced against the inner sur- United States Patent ice faces of the outermost walls of the coiled portion of the intake pipe and flows along these inner surfaces of the outer walls of the coiled portion to an appropriate discharge point at which the water may be readily removed from the attachment together with all of the solid particles which have been removed from the exhaust gases passing tln'ough the smoke cleansing apparatus.

The main object of this invention is to provide a smoke cleansing apparatus which will provide a means whereby exhaust gases, smoke and the like being discharged from industrial plants and the like may be substantially entirely cleansed thereby eliminating the offensive coloration and odors normally associated with exhaust gases of this type.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a smoke cleansing apparatus which may be operated at a relatively low cost and be simple in construction so as to eliminate operating problems.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cleansing attachment which may be readily secured to the outlet end of a smoke pipe and which will occupy a comparatively small volume of space.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a device which Will conform toconventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and for the most part automatic in operation so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and'in which:

FIGURE 1 is aside elevational view of the smoke cleansing apparatus shown mounted upon the outlet end of a smoke pipe, parts of the attachment and smoke pipe being broken away and shown in section;

' FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the means by which'the attachment may be removably secured to the outlet end of'a smoke pipe;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; 7

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of FIGURE .1; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the water and steam pipe of the attachment. 7

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally'designates the attachment of the instant invention which is shown in FIGURE 1 removably secured to the truncated cone-shaped outlet end of a smoke pipe generally referred to by the reference numeral 12. The smoke cleansing apparatus 10 includes an elongated tubular intake pipe generally referred to by the reference numeral 14 which includes an intake end portion 16 and an outlet end portion generally referred to by the reference numeral 18. The tubular intake pipe 14 is generally inverted U-shaped in configuration and it will be noted that the intake end portion 16 includes an adapter generally referred to by the reference numeral 2d. The adapter 2%, see FIGURES 2 and 3, includes a short extension pipe section 22 which is removably secured within the end of a female coupling member 24, see FIG- URE 1, in any convenient manner such as by welding. The extension pipe section includes a truncated cone shaped end portion 26 to which there is secured a radially and outwardly extending abutment flange 28 which is suitably apertured as at 30. Extending axially from the end of the truncated cone shaped end portion 26 remote from the extention pipe section 22 are a plurality of aligning fingers 32 which are snugly received within the discharge end of the smoke pipe 12 to ensure axial alignment of the discharge end of the smoke pipe 12 and the truncated cone shaped end portion 26. The face of the flange 28 remote from the extension pipe section 22 abuts against the end face of the discharge end of the smoke pipe 12 and a clamp assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 36 is provided for embracingly engaging the smoke pipe 12, see FIGURE 1. The clamp assembly includes a plurality of apertured ears 38 which are registered with the apertures 30 in the flange 28 and a plurality of fasteners 40 are secured through the apertures 30 in the flange 28 and the apertured ears or lugs 38 carried by the clamp assembly 36. In this manner, the intake pipe 14 is fixedly secured to the discharge end of the smoke pipe 12 and it may be readily observed that the clamp assembly may be loosened in order to enable the attachment to be orientated in different positions about the longitudinal axis of the smoke pipe 12.

A pair of compressed air inlet means 42 and 44 are provided and include air inlet lines 46 and 48 respectively whose discharge ends open toward the outlet end of the attachment 10. The air inlet lines 46 and 48 are externally threaded and threadedly engaged in the threaded bores 50 and 52 respectively communicating the exterior of the attachment 10 with the interior of the intake pipe 14. The intake end portion 16 is removably secured to the outlet end portion 18 by means of a coupling generally referred to by the reference numeral 51 and it will be noted that the outlet end portion 18 includes a coiled portion generally referred to by the reference numeral 53.

Disposed in the coiled portion 53 of the outlet end portion 18 is a water and steam pipe which is generally referred to by the reference numeral 54 and is also coiled.

The water and steam pipe 54 is provided with an inlet 56 on one end to which the discharge end of a water and/or steam line 58 is threadedly secured, see FIG- URES 1 and 5. The water and steam pipe 54 is provided with a plurality of radially extending apertures 60, see FIGURE 4, and is provided with a closure plug 62 at its end remote from the steam line 58.

It will also be noted from FIGURE 1 of the drawings that the coiled portion 53 of the outlet end portion 18 is provided with an air pressure inlet opening 64 to which an air pressure line 66 is secured.

In operation, the attachment 10 may be secured to the smoke pipe 12 as previously set forth and air under pressure may be discharged from the air inlet lines 46 and 48. At the same time, steam and/or water is admitted into the water and steam pipe 54 by means of the steam line 58. The steam is discharged from the water and steam pipe 54 by means of the radially extending apertures 60 and the steam is thereby directed transversely of the flow of smoke through the coiled portion 53 of the discharge end portion 18. As the smoke within the coiled portion 53 passes the apertures 60, the steam being emitted from the apertures 60 will thoroughly wet all solid materials being discharged from the smoke pipe 12 and these materials will thus pick up additional weight by means of the water adhering thereto. The additional weight of these solid particles will cause the particles to be separated from the smoke stream passing through the coiled portion 53 by means of centrifugal force as the heavier wetted particles will be thrown to the inner surfaces of the outer walls of the coiled portion 53. Inasmuch as the entrance of steam into the intake pipe 14 would effect an increase of pressure in the coiled portion 53 and would thus tend to restrict the normal flow of smoke through the smoke pipe 12, the inlet lines 46 and 48 are needed to greatly accelerate the flow of smoke through the attachment 10 whereby the momentum of the flow of smoke will cause the increase of pressure caused by the steam being discharged into the coiled portion 53 to be directed outwardly of the discharge end of the attachment 1%. In this manner, the flow of smoke through the smoke pipe 12 may even be accelerated by the air being discharged from the air inlet lines whereby the draft of the smoke pipe 12 will be increased.

The water and condensed steam within the coiled portion 53 may be easily withdrawn from the attachment at the discharge end of the coiled portion 53 in any convenient manner.

Because of the means in the attachment for wetting the solid particles being carried by the smoke stream passing through the attachment 19, substantially all of the solid particles in the smoke may be removed by the attachment 10. The more efficient use of steam is permitted by the provision of the air inlet lines 46 and 4-8 which ensure that the flow of smoke through the attachment 10 will not be restricted by the increase of pressure resulting from the admittance of steam into the coiled portion 53 of the intake pipe 14. The coiled portion 53 and the accelerated speed of the wetted particles all cooperate to provide an efiicient and simple means for cleansing smoke being discharged from a smoke pipe.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly al-l suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with the discharge end of a smoke pipe, a smoke cleansing apparatus comprising an elongated tubular intake pipe of a smaller diameter than the outlet end of said smoke pipe and having means on one end 'pontion removably securing said intake pipe to the discharge end portion of said smoke pipe for forming an extension of said smoke pipe, compressed air inlet means in the end portion of said intake pipe secured to said smoke pipe including at least one discharge outlet opening toward the remote end of said intake pipe, an elongated inner water and steam pipe, disposed in and extending longitudinally of at least the other end portion of said intake pipe and having an inlet on one end disposed exteriorlyof said intake pipe, said water and steam pipe having a plurality of laterally directed outlets for directing a plurality of jets of fluid such as steam and water generally radially outwardly of said inner Water and steam pipe and transversely of said intake pipe, said steam and intake pipes being generally spiralled and including a plurality of generally concentric convolutions inorder that heavy wetted foreign material in smoke passing through said intake pipe will be thrown outwardly into engagement with the internal surfaces of the outer walls of the spiralled portion of said intake pipe, said one end portion of said intake pipe being inverted 'U- shaped in order that the intake end thereof may extend upwardly from the upper end of the smoke pipe and the outlet end thereof and said spiralled other end portion may be downwardly directed toward the outlet of said intake pipe,lthe first mentioned means including means securing said intake pipe to said smoke pipe for rotation of the intake end thereof about the longitudinal axis of the corresponding end of said smoke pipe.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means closing the other end of said water and steam pipe.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said securing 5 6 means includes a radially outwardly extending flange on References Cited in the file of this patent said one end of said intake pipe adapted to abut and project radially and outwardly beyond the outlet end of UNITED STATES PATENTS the smoke pipe, means on said one end adapted to engage 291,773 Reilly J 1884 the outlet end of the smoke pipe and maintain said one 5 1,212,193 Doherty 1917 end of said intake pipe in axial alignment therewith, and 1,253,766 1918 clamp means carried by said flange and adapted to clamp- 1,430,116 Rodnguez P 26, 1922 ingly engage said smoke pipe and retain said flange against 1,798,356 Rofll 1931 axial displacement relative to said smoke pipe. 1,960,472 Bala'am et a1 y 1934 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH THE DISCHARGE END OF A SMOKE PIPE, A SMOKE CLEANSING APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR INTAKE PIPE OF A SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE OUTLET END OF SAID SMOKE PIPE AND HAVING MEANS ON ONE END PORTION REMOVABLY SECURING SAID INTAKE PIPE TO THE DISCHARGE END PORTION OF SAID SMOKE PIPE FOR FORMING AN EXTENSION OF SAID SMOKE PIPE, COMPRESSED AIR INLET MEANS IN THE END PORTION OF SAID INTAKE PLACE SECURED TO SAID SMOKE PIPE INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE DISCHARGE OUTLET OPENING TOWARD THE REMOTE END OF SAID INTAKE PIPE, AN ELONGATED INNER WATER AND STEAM PIPE, DISPOSED IN AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF AT LEAST THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID INTAKE PIPE AND HAVING AN INLET ON ONE END DISPOSED EXTERIORLY OF SAID INTAKE PIPE, SAID WATER AND STEAM PIPE HAVING A PLURALITY OF LEATERALLY DIRECTED OUTLETS FOR DIRECTING A PLURALITY OF JETS OF FLUID SUCH AS STEAM AND WATER GENERALLY RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID INNER WATER AND STEAM PIPE AND TRANSVERSELY OF SAID INTAKE PIPE, SAID STEAM AND INTAKE PIPES BEING GENERALLY SPIRALLED AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY CONCENTRIC CONVOLUTIONS IN ORDER THAT HEAVY AND WETTED FOREIGN MATERIAL IN SMOKE PASSING THROUGH SAID INTAKE PIPE WILL BE THROWN OUTWARDLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERNAL SURFACES OF THE OUTER WALLS OF THE SPIRALLED PORTION OF SAID INTAKE PIPE, SAID ONE END PORTION OF SAID INTAKE PIPE BEING INVERTED USHAPED IN ORDER THAT THE INTAKE END THEREOF MAY EXTEND UPWARDLY FROM THE UPPER END OF THE SMOKE PIPE AND THE OUTLET END THEREOF AND SAID SPIRALLED OTHER END PORTION MAY BE DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED TOWARD THE OUTLET OF SAID INTAKE PIPE, THE FIRST MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING MEANS SECURING SAID INTAKE PIPE TO SAID SMOKE PIPE FOR ROTATION OF THE INTAKE END THEREOF ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE CORRESPONDING END OF SAID SMOKE PIPE. 